If you are not still logged into the control panel, log in using the username and password specific to your account. On the top of the screen from the list of Rackspace Cloud Products select the Load Balancers tab and select "Create Load Balancer".

Select "Load Balancers" from the product navigation bar at the top.

Click: "Create Load Balancer".

Name

As with the previous cloud resources created, the name is a label used to identify the Cloud Load Balancer. This name will be displayed when interacting with it through the Control Panel and API. This example will use WPLB01, shorthand for WordPress Load Balancer 01. For your load balancer, pick a name meaningful to you.

Give your load balancer a name, Ex: "WPLB01"

Virtual IP

The virtual IP settings will determine the access settings for your load balancer. Settings are provided to make a load balancer private or public, as well as join a load balancer to an existing load balancer. For your configuration the default setting is what you want.

Select the connection setting for the Virtual IP. Select: "Accessible on the Public Internet"

Protocol / Port

Here you will determine which protocol a load balancer will route, as well as the port on which it will listen for incoming requests. By default it will be selected for HTTP on port 80 so no change is required here. Select the protocol the Load Balancer will route.

Select: "HTTP":"80"

Algorithm

The algorithm determines how the load balancer routes traffic. Read over the algorithm types by hovering over the question mark next to the field. Determine which load balancer algorithm works best for your purpose. This build will suggest using a round robin type configuration.

Select a routing Algorithm for the Load Balancer. Suggested: "Round Robin"

Region

Replicate the region used to configure your database and servers. The load balancer can exist in a separate region as the cloud servers to which it routes traffic, however, this will cause slower performance due to public internet latency. When traffic is routed from an external datacenter the traffic will traverse the public internet.

Give the Load balancer a region. Select: "Dallas (DFW)"

Add Nodes

Each server connected to a load balancer is referred to as a node. In the Add Node section select "Add Cloud Servers". Add the Cloud Server selecting the box next to the server name.

Click "Add Cloud Servers" and place a check mark next to both cloud servers

Build it

Create the load balancer by selecting "Create Load Balancer"

Note: You are able to designate the port to which traffic is sent on the cloud server. This is done by inputting a new port in the port field once a cloud server has been added as a node. This tutorial does not modify this setting.

Build Processing

Configure DNS

The load balancer will go into a build state. Once completed the load balancer status will change to "active". An IP address will also be assigned to the load balancer. This IP address will be used as the A record in your DNS so keep it handy. This guide will cover the creation of this A record later, in the DNS section.